Hakushijotai
by Tsukiyomi the Ghost Writer
Summary: There are an infinite number of realities in existence, each with their own set of differences. This is a peek into one of those realities. Hopefully, a different kind of Naruto. AU. Rated for violence, gore, swearing, implied rape, future lemons, and breaking of the fourth wall. Not as dark as it sounds.
1. Prologue: Enter Sasuke

**Welcome, readers. I am glad you are still here to witness my latest creation. 2015 has arrived, the New Era in the making. It took me quite a while to gather everything...But I digress, I must get back to the task at hand. This story won't be your typical Naruto story...No, it will not be. I present to you this large world filled with adventure and the supernatural. **

**Naruto: This will be different than what you're used to. **

**A completely transformed universe, because as of right now, all previous information you have on the Narutoverse will be rendered invalid. This is a blank slate to be molded anyway I see fit. And hopefully, you shall do the same.**

**This project will begin unseen, small, and at the bottom. But as time goes on, it will rise, until you wouldn't want to turn away from the screen.**

**I'll stop talking. You need to read this yourself.**

**Welcome...to Hakushijotai...**

* * *

><p>Our story begins on a cold winter morning. The citizens in Ascension City are rushing to their jobs, washing away the last of their sleep as they zipped past each other like air molecules. The cars whizzed by, horns honking in an synchronized orchestra. The snow fell lazily, flakes rocking back and forth to an invisible lullaby sung by the wind. Blankets of snow covered the roofs of buildings and the sidewalks, coating the city with a white sheet of freezing cold.<p>

Footsteps tap lightly on the sidewalk, the crunching of the snow mixing in with the surrounding sounds. The figure walked through the streets, camouflaged by the chilled fog. The countless citizens did not take notice of him for various reasons, from being in a rush to get to work to simply choosing not to acknowledge the person's existence. It worked well for the figure, though. He did not want to be noticed. Even if he was, there was nothing to take notice of aside from the hooded cloak that hung off his body, waving in the wind lightly. The man stopped at the corner, turning to check the street. When the lights turned red, the cars stopped at the intersection, allowing the impatient citizens to cross. Turning to cross the street, he stopped mid-step.

His ears picked up a soft whimpering of some kind, one similar to that of an abandoned animal. Turning around, he saw no one. Turning back around, he dismissed the sound, assuming it as his imagination playing tricks on him. As he walked the street, he stopped at the center of the road as the sound of whimpering invaded his ears again. Turning around, he was once again met with the sight of the snow covered sidewalk. His eyes narrowed.

Hearing a honk to his side, his eyes turned to stare at the man who was shouting at him to get out of the way. He looked towards the street light, noticing it had gone green. Looking over the hood of the man's car, he saw the slowly increasing number of cars adding to the line of complaints. He was holding everyone up.

And then the whimpers came back.

Where was that noise coming from?!

Quickly dashing back to the corner, he ran in the direction the sound was coming from. His small journey eventually led him in front of a dark alleyway, in which he immediarely stepped into. He knew about the things that happen to people in alleyways, but he had nothing to fear. He honestly didn't care.

Walking through the passage between the two buildings, his eyes searched all over the alleyway, looking for the source of the noise.

"Meow."

His head swiveled towards the sound, looking around until he felt something brush up against his leg. Looking down, he saw a black cat rubbing its head against his cloak, small purrs rumbling from the back of its throat. He remained still, just staring at the furry animal. He did not want to scare it off. Crouching down, he scooped it up into his arms, his fingers reaching up to scratch behind its ears. Almost immediately, the purrs grew louder, and the cat began to fall asleep. The hooded man continued to walk, the cat's snores soothing his nerves. After twenty seconds, he heard the sound of someone whimpering again, but this time it was a sound that directly reached his ears, and he looked in the direction the sound came form. He frowned at the sight in front of him.

There, curled up behind a trash bin, was a little girl about four years old. She was dressed in rags, her deathly pale skin covered in grime and bruises. He noticed the large pool of blood around her, splotches of her lifeblood splattered on her black hair, against the walls and ground, everywhere he looked, completely smothering the area in red coating, turning the scene into a painting from hell. In his eyes, this was truly a sad sight to see, adding to the fact she had a look in her eyes that held a burden no child should bear. Walking up to this little girl, he saw her stiffen and realized she finally took notice of him. Her eyes zipped around fearfully, looking around for a route of escape before falling back on his approaching form. She curled into an even smaller ball, waiting for death. He stopped in front of her, man crouched, his face level to hers.

"What are you doing out on the cold streets, little one?" He asked, his voice coming out deep and smooth. He made sure to speak with a calm tone, hoping he wouldn't scare off the poor child. The little girl did not respond, she simply buried her face into her knees.

"Please look up, little one. I won't harm you." The man said, the cat in his arms waking up and giving a small meow, as if agreeing with this man that it will not hurt the little one. The girl looked up slowly, strands of hair falling over her eyes, tear tracks still fresh and freezing. Her eyes observed the stranger, childish curiosity overriding fear.

There was not much to say about this man, except for the most basic of physical description. From the tips of his white hooded cloak, strands of spiked white hair fell over the man's gentle purple eyes, shining faintly in the darkness of the alleyway. His skin seemed to fit in with the falling snow, pale and roughly calloused, yet still young and untouched by age. Despite her fear, she thought he looked like an angel sent directly from the heavens to collect her.

She noticed the small cat jumping out of the man's arms and onto her head. Flinching, she tried to scoot away, but she could only manage a few inches before her back touched the slimy wall behind her. She began whimpering in pain from a particularly nasty wound on her side. Closing her eyes, she held her breath. She felt it move from its position on her head and jump into her lap, wiggling its way through the space between her arms. Opening her eyes slowly and carefully, she stared at the small feline, its amber eyes staring back at her. Hesitantly, she brought up her arm and brushed her fingertips against the back of the cat's head. Almost immediately, it leaned into her touch, purring and rubbing its head against the back of her hand. She relaxed, but only a little.

" I am not here to hurt you. I wish to know what happened here." The stranger said. The child's face once again took a frightened look, all previous traces of peace wiped off her features. She began to shiver violently, hugging herself as she rocked back and forth.

"I k-killed them...a-and there w-was so m-much blood..." She said, her voice just barely above the faintest of whispers. It came out soft and light, yet what was supposed to be innocent was no longer there. There was no questioning it; this poor girl had been through hell and came out no longer a child.

And then he noticed the bodies. All around them, mutilated heaps of mangled flesh and bone that used to be human were scattered all over the alleyway. Despite the violent displays of blood and gore, the man did not flinch or shy away. He was used to being surrounded by bodies. But he did feel worry for the young child behind him, shivering and sniffling as the cold winds rustled her rags. Looking over his shoulder, he once again stared at the young child, his eyes filled with concern for her wellbeing. He turned around and began to walk closer to her. She went rigid.

He knelt and wrapped his arms around her, holding her against him like a father would his own daughter, using one hand to stroke her hair in an attempt to soothe her, succeeding when her body relaxed and she began to sob. He didn't know what happened, he didn't know if she was to blame for this, but he didn't care. No, he did not. Looking around, he saw that the alleyway was vacant. Cementing his decision into his mind, he tucked his arm under the child's legs and stood up, her small form immediately snuggling into his warmth. Turning to walk deeper into the alleyway, he stopped when he heard a meow. The black cat from earlier had decided to follow him.

"You wish to follow me?" The man said curiously, looking down at the cat. He got a nuzzle in response.

Chuckling, he continued to walk into the darkness of the alleyway, the cat prancing after him and jumping onto his shoulder. Looking down at the malnourished child in his arms, breathing lightly as she slept, a peaceful expression on her face. He smiled.

"We may have met only moments ago, child. But I promise you that you will be safe under my care."

His form faded, vanishing into the darkness with a dull buzz.

* * *

><p>It had been two days since he had found the child in the alleyway, and our mysterious hooded stranger had attended to the child like he had promised. She had yet to awaken, but he could tell she was suffering from hypothermia and malnourishment when he found her. Not to mention the copious amounts of blood found all over the alley. Even though most of it wasn't hers, the mental scarring she must have suffered must have been far worse then any wound she could have sustained.<p>

The second he had entered the front door of his home, he immediately got to work on bathing her and clothing her in fresh clothing from the local store. He next went to the supermarket and restocked on his supplies, along with buying as much food as he can carry. When that was taken care of, he had come home to find her trying to crawl out of bed, too weak to stand up due to the loss of adrenaline in her system. He chuckled and picked her up, ignoring how she shivered in fear.

_He's going to try and rape me,_ She thought frantically. She had woken up a few minutes prior and had immediately thought the worst when she found herself in an unfamiliar place. She had noticed that there were no windows to crawl out of, and considering how weak she was from malnutrition and blood loss, she had tried to escape on will alone. A will that was slowly dying.

She was surprised that, instead of beating her like those people did in the alley, he propped her head up using a few pillows and brought a cup of clear water to her lips. She took a sip, then drank it in two seconds flat. She coughed, her small hands balled into a fist over her mouth. Clearing her throat, she looked up at her apparent savior. He smiled and offered a piece of bread, allowing her to eat. For the next few minutes he continued to feed the young child, replenishing her strength little by little.

"You must have been hungry, little one." The kind stranger said to her, the calm smile never leaving his face. The child blushed and looked down, her hands folded in her lap.

"I-I'm sorry, mister." She said, voice clear yet barely above a whisper.

"There is no need for an apology, little one. I cannot stand by as a young child starves herself. Get as much rest as you can, replenish your strength. We can speak later if you wish." He said. The child nodded shakily, still wary around the hooded stranger. Yet she couldn't help but wonder what his motives were. Her eyes widened when the man stood up from the edge of the bed and turned to walk out the door. Her mouth moved on its own.

"W-Wait!" She yelled desperately, regretting doing so when her throat burned, still sore from the cold air. The cloaked male turned to her, his eyes portraying curiosity.

"Yes?" The girl looked away, feeling his curious gaze fall on her. She wrapped her arms around herself, unsure of why she had called for him. She continued to speak, not thinking about it once.

"P-Please don't leave," She began, earning a raised eyebrow.

"Stay, please. I'm scared. I don't want to be alone." She muttered, her voice now beginning to show traces of childlike innocence that the hooded man thought was all but lost.

"..." The little girl felt tears well up in her eyes when he didn't respond, and had lost all hope when he came to the side of the bed and wrapped her up in the blankets. She looked up and watched as he sat down once more, a soft smile still on his face.

"Don't worry. I'm still here. I won't leave if you don't want me to." He said, looking down to her. The little one tried to smile, but could only manage a slight twitch as she began to cough again. He rubbed comforting circles into her back, bringing her closer to him as she calmed her frantic breathing. After a few more minutes, she started to feel drowsy as she leaned against the kind stranger, who had remained at her side like he said he would.

"Do you feel better now?" He said softly, his voice almost divine to the child. She nodded.

"Are you alright with telling me what had happened to you?" The male asked cautiously.

At this, the girl cringed and began to shiver again.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"...Would you still be here?" The child asked. The man nodded, white strands of hair bouncing as he did so.

"O-Okay...I was with mommy. She would always take me to the store with her to buy things like she always does. We w-were walking down the empty street, just turning the corner to our home until these bad men came out of nowhere and pushed us into the alleyway. They started calling mommy bad words as she tried to protect me, until they started to...they started to..." The little one began to sniffle and sob, fear freezing her solid as the violent images assaulted her mind mercilessly. The male frowned.

"...T-They started to hit mommy and rip off her clothes. Mommy yelled at me to run, but I didn't want to leave her with these bad men. I was frozen, stuck as they shoved their things inside of mommy with sick grins on their faces. They eventually pushed her into the wall and started hitting her again, laughing as I stood there, too scared to move. It went on for God knows how long, until daddy suddenly came out of nowhere and began to yell at mommy about how she was a slut and nothing but his toy the whole time. H-He...killed her...I was so scared, so angry as the bad men started coming towards me, mommy's blood all over them. I remember screaming then...dark..." The little girl could manage no more, as she started to cry, the floodgates bursting open as the male next to her let her cry into his chest.

_Poor child. She must have been scarred. Those bodies I found earlier were probably the men she spoke of, not to mention there was a mess of organs and viscera all over the wall. But what exactly happened to those men to result in what I had found? Did she really kill them? _The man thought as he began to wonder how a child could possibly kill a fully-grown adult when outnumbered. He remained still, listening to the wails of the young child as she tried to bury herself in his chest. He brought his hand to her head and brushed her hair, much like he did the cat that was currently asleep in the living room. He looped an arm under her knees and picked her up. Placing her in the bed, he tucked her into the covers and allowed her to rest. Turning arou-

"Wait."

The male looked at her in slight surprise. This child must have some serious mental defense if she was able to remain awake.

"Do you need anything?" He asked.

"Can you..." She began.

"Hmm?"

"Can you..."

"Yes?"

"...tell me a bedtime story?" The little one asked in a whisper. She felt embarrassed to have to ask a stranger, no matter how kind he was, to do this.

"You wish for me to tell you a story?" He asked, his head tilting in confusion. She nodded meekly, ducking her head under the covers. He chuckled. But then stopped.

He didn't know of any stories he can tell.

Quickly looking through the shelves by the wall, he found no books to read to her. Quickly excusing himself, he hurried into his room and looked through his shelves. No books there. Remembering the child's fears, he quickly returned to the guest room, where she was looking around for him. Wondering what he could do, a sudden idea came to his mind. He grinned, ignoring how the child took a second to admire his perfectly clean teeth.

Yes, it was certainly an appropriate time to tell _that_ story.

"I have thought of a story I would like to tell you. Would you like to hear it?" He asked, to which the girl nodded eagerly. He chuckled yet again, sitting next to the child once more. Looking down at her, he saw just how attentive she was. Hearing small footfalls with his superb hearing, he felt something climb onto his lap. Looking down, he saw the cat.

"Would you like to listen as well?" He asked the furry creature, earning an equally eager meow from it.

Grinning, he brought the two closer to him and said;

"Then listen well, because Tsukiyomi-sensei is here to tell you the story of how a group of teenagers changed the world."

* * *

><p>"Alright class, listen up. This is a simple writing assignment. You are to fill out the questions below. Feel free to add in anything extra about yourself if you manage to finish early. You have 20 minutes. Begin." A tall, buff man says, his hands folded behind his back as the various students quiet down and begin to take out their writing utensils. Soon, the room is filled with the sound of pencil strokes hitting paper. Our focus, however, is brought to a male sitting in the iconic seat of an anime's protagonist in high school, at the back of the room and next to a window. The sunlight that passed through the clear glass contrasted with the male's raven locks. He was currently wearing a simple short-sleeved white dress-up shirt tucked into his black jeans, the uniform of the school if the identical outfits of the surrounding teens were anything to go by, albeit with a few differences. He lacked a tie, and an indigo-colored short sleeved jacket was draped on the back of his chair. The tip of his pencil was swiftly stroking at the lines of the paper.<p>

**_Name: __**

He swiftly filled it in.

_Sasuke Uchiha._

_**Occupation?  
><strong>_

_College student, student of Class 3-A.  
><em>

**_Age?_**

_Seventeen years old.  
><em>

**_Gender?_**

_Male._

**_Physical description?_**

The now identified Sasuke raised an eyebrow, then shrugged and filled it in.

_Black hair, black eyes, fair skin, lean build, athletic._

_**Part II; **_

_**Do you have a best friend? If so, what is his/her name? If not, leave blank.  
><strong>_

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. He raised his hand to get the attention of the teacher currently filling out documents at his desk.

"Excuse me, Kirimura-sensei?" He asked, drawing the attention of the teacher and a few students. His voice was a few notches lighter than his English Dub counterpart, but we must remain focused on the story.

"Yes, what is your question, ummm..."

"Sasuke."

"Yes, what is your question, Sasuke?"

Sasuke looked down at his paper, then back at the teacher.

"Why would the second part of the assignment include questions about your friends? Wouldn't that be a bit nosy?" The teacher put a finger to his chin.

"The administration decided to test out a new pairing system so students may be paired with people they are comfortable with when they select their dorms. It helps alleviate any tension between students as they won't start any trouble with that person." Sasuke's head tilted in confusion.

"What if you don't have any friends?" This drew some snickers from the males in the room, and a few glares from the females, as they felt that question was very insensitive to those who were not so fortunate. The teacher pinched his nose in irritation.

"Sasuke-san, I am just doing my job, and you are holding up the class. Return to your paper." He scolded. Sasuke sighed, and nodded. Looking back down at his paper, he filled in the questions as best he could.

_Hinata Hyuuga._

After writing the name down, Sasuke looked out the window, watching the clouds drift lazily in the clear blue sky. The sun shined brightly above the large football field outside, students traveling in pairs or groups, teachers directing the new freshman and sophomores to their assigned classes using their schedules. His mind drifted to Hinata Hyuuga, the rather energetic girl who he had met back in his childhood years. His family was a part of two clans that owned a part of the town he lived in. The Uchiha were commonly known as the "ninjas" of the town, as they are known for their dark themes, from hair to fighting styles to personalities. They have pride in their family combat styles, natural athletic talents and raw speed that comes from how nimble their muscles were. Many residents of the town, namely the females, admired them for their natural good looks and wealthy lifestyle. Sasuke was indeed lucky to be born into such a successful family, but he did not become arrogant or spoiled because of it. He followed his mother's way of thinking, as she had explicitly told him that it wasn't the life they lived that made a person, but the heart they possess that creates them. She was a very kind woman, understanding but strict when she needs to be.

The Hyuuga, on the other hand, are a very wealthy family that followed the traditional Japanese lifestyle, and are praised for their flexibility and ability to adapt to any situation. The males were known for their sarcastic and sometimes jovial nature, even though that particular trait was mostly found in the younger generation than the old. The females were known for being beautiful, kind, gentle, and possessing a rather healthy chest when they mature into adulthood. They don't really focus on combat, preferring diplomacy and nobility over all. That did not mean they couldn't protect themselves, though. All children are required to take hand-to-hand combat lessons from their parents when they are 7, and are expected to finish by the time they hit the first stage of puberty.

He had met Hinata when her parents had invited his own for a traditional family dinner, as a sign of good faith and camaraderie. His mother, Mikoto Uchiha, had sent him to mingle with his fellow children as the adults caught up with each other. Hinata had been playing around with some of her clansmen as a housemaid watched over her little sister, Hanabi. He had been chatting with his elder brother, the prodigy of the clan, Itachi Uchiha, when she had accidentally bumped into him. He had apologized, and questioned her on why the clan heir was running around when she should be acting formal and ladylike. She had punched him in the arm and given him a scowl, asking about his own intentions, considering he was the next in line to be the clan heir of the Uchiha, as Itachi was already a potential candidate for being the next Clan Head in the coming years.

Just so you know, dear reader, a Clan Head isn't always the leader of the clan, as he or she will have advisers that will guide them when they are faced with a tough decision.

Anyways, the two had bonded over the time they spent playing around, as Sasuke quickly figured out that Hinata was able to easily keep up with his speed as she had demonstrated by winning three games of tag in a row. he had gotten her back by catching her the second she said 'Go'. Over the years, they progressed in their "relationship", as their parents had teased them so, but in all honesty, Sasuke saw the girl as a little sister who he could count on to watch his back, as he would do the same for her.

"Uchiha! Stop daydreaming and focus on your work!"

"Sorry!"

Sasuke quickly ceased his reminiscing of the past to focus on the paper in front of him.

_**If you have answered the question above, answer the following questions;**_

_**How would you describe your best friend's personality? Use any format you wish to illustrate.**_

Sasuke tapped his pencil to his chin. After a few seconds, he smirked and looked back down at the paper.

_Hinata Hyuuga is an outgoing person. She is energetic, tomboyish, and easy to understand. Yet when with friends, she is slightly shy and modest when she receives any sort of compliment. She keeps a level head when in a dangerous situation, and can be diplomatic when she needs to be. Word to the wise, do not anger her, for she has a short fuse and a powerful right hook._

**What are his/her favorite hobbies? **

_Cooking, hanging out with her friends, and..._

Sasuke blushed as he wondered whether or not he should write this last one. He eventually huffed. _You know what, fuck it. _He thought_.__  
><em>

_Flashing me to keep me on edge._

Sasuke knew he wasn't obligated to write everything, but he knew it would be better if he wrote that down now rather than having teachers find out about it later. He sure as hell didn't want any rumors to start as he only saw Hinata as an annoying little sister, as perverted as she was.

Riiiiight. With a sister like that, you're going to tell us you haven't thought of her like that at least _once_, Sasuke. Really?

"No. Leave me alone, you damn author!"

"Uchiha, quiet down back there! Who the hell are you talking to, anyways?!"

"Sorry!" Sasuke replied, grumbling something about stupid authors and their perverted ways.

Aaaaanyways, the Uchiha who apparently has no balls continued to fill out the paper as best he could, until he reached the last question.

**_What do you dream of doing one day?_**

Sasuke stopped writing. He looked out the window again, catching a hint of dark lavender hair as it's owner suddenly looked up, feeling someone's eyes on her. The head turned revealing one Hinata Hyuuga as she looked up in Sasuke's direction. She smiled, and waved. Sasuke smiled, and gave a little wave of his own, unnoticed by the rest of the class. Hinata continued to walk, until she was out of Sasuke's view. Sasuke looked back at the paper, and picked up his pencil, filling in the last blank.

_To surpass human limits._

DING-DONG-DONG-DING!

The bell rang, and Kirimura-sensei took a look at the clock on the wall. He got up, and began to collect the papers as students passed them to the front of the class. Sasuke handed his paper to the student in front of him, and got up, taking his jacket and knapsack with him. Walking out the door, he took a left and walked down the stairs, heading out the double doors and to the cafeteria building as he passed by several students, who either waved or ignored him.

* * *

><p>The cafeteria was large, large enough to get its own building as it was supplied with a diner, a bar, snack booths, and even its own shopping districts. It was like stepping into a whole other world.<p>

Sasuke inserted a ryo coin into the vending machine, and pushed the button. The machine let out a hum, until a metallic _clunk _was heard as he grabbed the soft drink form the dispenser. Popping open the cap, he took a sip.

"Sasuke!" He heard. Turning to his left, he grinned as he spotted Hinata racing towards him. The lavender-eyed girl stopped in front of him, grabbing his wrist. She wore a female version of the school uniform; whhite dress up shirt, black skirt and leggings, and black loafers that fit her feet comfortably.

"What are you doing over here? C'mon, I secured a table for the rest of us." She said. Like the Uchiha, her voice was vastly different as it help none of the stuttering or shyness her English Dub counterpart was known for. If anything, her voice was more pronounced, more bold.

If you can't imagine that, dear reader, think Yuri Nakamura.

"Why the hell would you reference Angel Beats of all things?" Sasuke said to what looked like no one in particular.

Because fuck you, that's why.

Hinata pinched his arm and huffed.

"Shut up, Sasuke. I think this voice suits me better anyways. I'm sure the author has his reasons."

See? Hinata gets it.

"Hinata, where did you- Oh! Hi Sasuke!" Another voice said, revealing Sakura Haruno as she approached. She soon greeted Sasuke with a smile and a reddened face. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, then shrugged.

_Girls are so weird,_ He thought, completely ignoring Hinata's facepalm.

_It's been three years and he STILL doesn't get it. _She mentally ranted. Ignorance aside, Sakura turned to Hinata.

"Hinata, you ran off in the middle of our conversation! Not cool," Sakura pouted. Hinata laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of her head as she threw an arm around Sasuke's neck, throwing up a peace sign.

"Well, what can I say? I can't help it when my little brother is in the area." Sasuke sweatdropped.

"I'm older than you, dammit..." He grumbled. She always did this to him.

Sakura sweatdropped.

_They really do act like siblings... _She thought. She shook her head, and grabbed Sasuke's other hand, dragging both him and Hinata to a large rectangular table near the salad bar. Waiting there, were the rest of his friends, the famed "Rookie Nine". They all wore their respective uniforms, with their own added accessories, of course. Kiba gave them a feral grin, waving them over and gesturing to the empty seats next to him. His eyes drifted over Hinata, leering slightly at her slighlty exposed cleavage. The reason was simple. Hinata's chest matched perfectly with her slender yet firm body, just large enough so it did not appear as either flat or overwhelming. While she did not have the chest of a washboard or an Amazonian woman, she still had trouble buttoning up her uniform, so she left the top three buttons loose while she used a large purple bow tied around her collar to cover up what showed.

What she didn't count on was just how perverted Kiba sometimes was, as he had more trouble going through puberty than the rest of the guys due to his family's genes. The Inuzuka were famous for having genes similar to a dog's, as shown by their fang-like teeth and almost ridiculous sense of smell. As a child, an Inuzuka had a more difficult time learning to walk considering they're used to being on all fours. But don't let that fool you. You should've seen them run when the smell of food came to their noses. Don't worry, they eventually overcome this disability when they reach the age of eight. Like the Uchiha family, they pride themselves in their combat style, and even have ruggishly good looks to both the males and females. Most of the males in the caln either become a fighter, or they become an actor as their genes let the skills come naturally. Sadly though, some of them became actors of the "horrible abomination"(quoted by Kiba and his mother) that was Twilight, as it left a horrible impression of them in the eyes of the public. The Inuzuka were often teased mercilessly about it.

Back to the story, Hinata smacked Kiba upside the head, and sat down next to Ino with a huff. Sakura muttered 'Pervert' under her breath, which led to a few snickers. Turning to sit down next to her, Sasuke greeted the Yamanaka.

"Hey Ino! How's it going for you?" Sasuke said jovially.

Like I said, Sasuke is vastly different than his canon counterpart, who was a total douche in my opinion.

"Nothing much, I'm still getting used to this school ever since I was kicked out of my last one." Ino said rather shyly. While she wasn't shy in nature, Ino still felt a little uncomfortable around other people. Sasuke understood what she meant.

You see, the Yamanaka family are not a native clan from this town, as they originated from the eastern lands. They were known for their understandings of the mind, and were known to either take up the profession of psychology or yoga. Some even developed a mysterious ability from their genes, from telepathy to psychokinesis to precognition. For that, they were often shunned, seen as freaks by others, and as a result, Ino's family had moved away. When the girl had entered middle school, she suffered severe amounts of bullying, and was often called a cheater for knowing all the answers to a test that often comes two or three days later. Ino knew that if she told anyone about her powers, that the situation would become even worse for her, and her family would be forced to move away again. So she dealt with all the bullying, and when she eventually met Sasuke in the 7th grade, she began to open up to others as Sasuke and Hinata had helped crack her shell. She saw the two as her closest friends, and was even known to be a gossip girl as she often knew things before anyone else, unaware of her precognitive abilities. She actually developed a small crush on Sasuke, as she admired his charisma and easygoing attitude.

Note that she is not a fangirl, as she often states her opinions to Sasuke whenever he does something stupid. Like that time he replaced her shampoo with red hair dye, or that other time when he had put a cricket in her bed at home. She still hasn't figured out how he even did that...

"Is this place better than your old school? Are the students here treating you nicely?" Hinata asked with concern. She saw Ino as that timid little sister that needed to be protected from perverted males, but she knew well that Ino could protect herself. After learning about the secret of the Yamanaka family, she had immediately gone home with the girl, dragging poor Sasuke with her. She had expressed her concerns with Ino's parents, as she had told them that the blonde can see her and Sasuke as her second family, as she had made Sasuke vow to protect her at all costs. He had told her in a blank tone that he would've done it anyways. At first, Ino's father had pulled the girl away from the two, lightly scolding her on why she trusted two strangers with the family's biggest secret. Her mother had smacked her husband on his head, and had thanked the two kids for befriending her daughter. Hinata beamed, while Sasuke just watched Inoichi with a careful eye. Eventually, he warmed up to the two, and had apologized for overreacting to his daughter's attempt at making friends. Sasuke had blown him off, saying that every father at least has a right to be protective of their child, especially in their case. Ino held no hatred or anger towards her father, and had hugged him for being protective of her.

"Yeah. Everyone's really nice here, even though there are some people who just can't keep it in their pants." Ino said, groaning as she thought about the countless flirts and proposals from earlier. Sasuke laughed.

"Hahahaha! Not even a full day and you already have a fanclub!" Ino blushed, as she held her face in her hands.

"Sasuke-kun, please don't..." She muttered. Hinata smirked, then said;

"Look who's talking. I caught over a fifth of the entire female population in this school giving you lustful looks as you walked into the administration office this morning. What is it now, 2:30? You now have over a third of them thinking about grabbing you and tossing you into the sack." Sasuke groaned.

"Don't remind me..." He muttered pitifully. The others laughed.

"Oh come on! You haven't been here a day, while I've been here for months! How are you already so popular?!" Kiba exclaimed, drawing even more laughter from the others at the table. Sakura giggled, as she grabbed one of Hinata's french fries, ignoring the indigent 'Hey!' from the busty Hyuuga.

"Maybe because you can't learn to keep your mouth shut when a pretty girl walks by." She said, taking a bite out of the salty fry. Sasuke laughed, sipping his cola.

"Ain't that right?" He joked, watching Kiba growl and pout as Chouji eventually came with Shikamaru, holding a large tray of drinks for everyone, letting them take their pick before he grabbed his own. Shikamru sat next to Shino, who hasn't spoken the whole time.

"Hey Shino, I know you can be quiet sometimes, but this is unusual even for you. What's on your mind?" Ino said, as she scooted closer to Sasuke, blushing slightly when their hands brushed against each other. Sasuke noticed that Shino wasn't even looking in their direction. Turning to where Shino faced, he snickered as his eyes landed on the source of Shino's "infatuation". Sitting at another table, was a tan-skinned girl with mint-green hair and orange eyes. She was eating her sushi with fervor, swallowing and making an off-hand comment to one of her friends before taking another bite. Sasuke whispered in Shino's ear.

"I bet you wish you were that sushi right about now." The silent Aburame was broken out of his daze and jumped backwards, falling out of his seat. Unlike his canon counterpart, Shino's face was fully exposed, revealing thin lips and dark green eyes, covered by his sunglasses. He also wore the uniform of the school, but he wore an open green vest over his shirt. Getting up, he dusted off his pants as he stared at the Uchiha.

"Dammit Sasuke, I was admiring a fine female specimen." He groaned. It goes to show that most, if not all, the characters in this story have different personalities, as Shino's voice was less deep and more rough and thin toned than his other self. Of course, I cannot simply write a story that is completely different, as the Aburame clan were known as bug collectors and researchers of the environment in general, sometimes being dramatic when something happens. They are normally stoic in nature, but Sasuke admits that they have the best damn poker face he has ever seen, even when they're being sarcastic. Anyways, the Uchiha grinned.

"Whoops." He said, but then immediately asked Shino about his crush. Shino pushed up his sunglasses.

"First of all, it is not a 'crush'. It is an interest. Second of all," Shino's hidden eyes drifted toward the mint-haired girl, who noticed she was being watched and waved cheerily. Shino dreamily waved back.

"I reeeeaaally want to be that sushi..." He muttered. Sasuke chuckled and shared a high five with Kiba. Shikamaru sat down and immediately went to sleep at the table. Sakura promptly woke him up with a smack to the noggin.

"Anyone else still wondering what that last exam was about?" Sasuke asked out of the blue. The others looked at him confusedly.

"What last exam?" Hinata asked. Sasuke tossed his empty soda bottle into the trash, and turned to Kiba.

"Kiba, you were in my class, surely you know something?"

"Dude, I don't know what you're talking about. Kenji-sensei did nothing but lecture us about the rules and guidelines of the school." At this point, Sasuke was confused. He looked at the others in shock as they started asking him what he meant and if he was alright. He finally stared at Hinata with pleading eyes.

"Actually, I was walking to my gym class earlier when I noticed Sasuke waving at me from the third floor. He was sitting at the back of the room and writing something while the teacher sat at the front of the class." Hinata said, trying harder to recall what happened earlier. This got the others' attention.

"But Kenji-sensei was pacing around the classroom as we took notes. That can't be right." Kiba said, getting a few nods of agreement from those sitting at the table. Hinata looked at Kiba with squinted eyes.

"Who the hell is Kenji? Sasuke told me the techer's name was Kirimura." Hinata wondered, turning to a flabbergasted Sasuke.

"That's because it was." Sasuke told her, his attention now on an irritated Kiba.

"Are you calling me a liar?" The Inuzuka barked, no pun intended. Sasuke put up his hands defensively. Hinata leaned over to Ino, and whispered in her ear.

"Hey, Ino. Can you use your powers to peek into their minds? I'm starting to get confused." She asked the blonde, who nodded and concentrated on the two. After a few minutes, her eyes narrowed and she grit her teeth. Finally, she pulled back and raised a hand to her forehead, wiping off a bit of sweat, thanking Hinata when the Hyuuga held her steady.

"Did you find anything?" She asked. Ino slowly shook her head.

"It's weird. Neither of them are lying, yet Kiba has this weird fog in his head, like something is messing with his memories." Ino said in a low tone. So far, only Sasuke and Hinata knew of her powers, so it would not be the wisest choice to share her finding with her friends.

"Actually, just about everyone in this area has that fog. The only ones who don't are you and Sasuke-kun." Ino continued. Hinata rested her chin into her palm.

"Now that's odd...normally I would've chalked it up to countless teenagers going through the final stage of puberty from adolescence to adulthood, but if you're adding the teachers to the mix..." Hinata theorized. While she may be easygoing and energetic in nature, she and Sasuke have their moments of intelligence, the Uchiha more so than her, even though he can be foolish sometimes.

"Unless the students are thinking lustful thoughts about the teachers, but I doubt that." Ino added her own two cents to the mix, as bizarre as it was.

"It's not bizarre! It's an honest possibility!" Ino protested.

Don't you sass me, girl.

"Sorry..."

"Ino, who are you talking to?"

"This really mean person who hates tacos."

I'm not mean! And I happen to like tacos, thank you very much!

Hinata raised an eyebrow, as Ino made strange hand motions in the air, as if she were speaking to the air itself. Quickly dismissing the thought, she motioned Sasuke over. The Uchiha was in the middle of an argument with Kiba, but stopped and walked over to Hinata when she waved her hand at him, motioning towards herself.

"Excuse me, Kiba. I must now engage in a _mature_ conversation, now. Not that a dog like you can understand." Sasuke said with a huff, crossing his arms and turning to the Hyuuga, who now had her head in her hands. Kiba just flipped him the bird.

"What do you need, Hinata?" Sasuke asked, looking between her and Ino.

"You're an idiot..." The Hyuuga mumbled into her palms, muttering things like 'why do I have to be related to you' or 'why can't you get along with anyone these days'. The Uchiha snorted, then turned to Ino.

"Well?" Ino squirmed.

"There seems to be something messing with everyone's memories. I can't locate the source, though." The Yamanaka said, shifting in her seat under the Uchiha's gaze. Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

_She's acting like Sakura, now..._ He thought.

"Hey look! What's that!" A random student yelled. All eyes were immediately set on the boy who said that, as he pointed out the large glass window that was in place of the far left wall. Multiple gasps were heard as the students stared into the far horizon over the hill that held the main building.

Why, you ask?

"What's all the commotion?" Sasuke and Hinata pushed through the crowd, followed by the rest of the confused Rookie Nine. Reaching the front of the line, the two's eyes widened at what they saw. This action was mirrored by everyone else.

A large plume of smoke arose from the roof of the main building. The building was too tall for anyone to see what was going on on the roof, but from what they heard, there must have been a fight going on. Kiba's slightly enhanced hearing picked up the sounds of metal clashing against metal, but from what he saw from his position, there was no fight going on. Sasuke broke out of his stupor, and grabbed hinata's and Ino's hands, ignoring the poor blonde girl blush. He turned and began to run out of the building.

"S-Sasuke! What are you doing?!" Hinata yelled, barely managing to keep herself from falling over due to the force of Sasuke's sudden pull. Sasuke turned to her, and somehow managed to dodge incoming teachers who yelled to slow down.

"We have to see what's going on up close!" He yelled over the noise of the students. Ino said nothing as she ran. She hoped he knew what he was doing.

Two minutes later, the three emerged from the cafeteria building, and Sasuke let the two girls go. He started to sprint towards the main building, once again ignoring Hinata's shouts as she chased after him. Ino looked up to the roof of the building, where she could just make out two figure in the smoke.

_What are those two people doing up there? _She thought, backing up a few steps to get a better look. Her eyes widened when one of the figures was struck down by something in the other figure's hand.

_Was that a sword?!_ Her thoughts began to go haywire as she watched the downed person get up and...disappear?

_Wha...?_ Her thoughts were interrupted as she felt a presence behind her.

_Please let it be one of the teachers..._ She thought, slowly turning around. She gasped in surprise as a male appeared in a blur, crouched on one knee and holding his side. He was a blonde like her, but his hair was so pale it was almost white. He wore a black hooded cloak over himself, so she couldn't tell much of what he was wearing underneath. His eyes were the brightest shade of blue she has ever seen, and his fair skin made him look rather handsome in the afternoon glow of the sun, turning his eyes a glowing shade of purple. He got up, and stumbled a bit as he nursed the wound. This broke Ino out of her daze, as she gasped.

"You're hurt!" The male seemed to finally take notice of his surroundings, and he looked into the eyes of the psychic Yamanaka. He honestly looked a little surprised.

"You can see me?" He said, mostly to himself than to Ino.

"Of course I can! C'mon, we need to get you some bandages for that!" She said, wrapping her arm around the man's neck so she could support him. He stared at her.

"Release me."

"No."

"Why not?"

"You seriously think I'm letting you go out there with a wound like that?"

"It's looks worse than it is."

"I don't care!"

"I'm a stranger."

"A stranger who needs help."

"I can take care of myself."

"And look where that got you."

The stranger fell silent, finding nothing to say to the woman. He simply sighed, and allowed her to drag him along.

* * *

><p>Tsukiyomi stopped talking when he felt the little girl's heartbeat start to relax. He looked down, watching her sleep as he listened to the rhythmic sounds of her breathing. He laid her down, and tucked her into the bed, stroking her forehead as he stood up and walked towards the door, the cat following behind him. He turned off the lights, closing the door. In the hallway, he looked down at the cat that was currently nuzzling his leg and purring. He chuckled.<p>

"You're an affectionate one, aren't you?" He said softly, crouching and scooping it up in his arms. It's large amber eyes looked into his purple ones in curiosity as it began to paw at his cheeks. He chuckled again as he walked into his kitchen, opening the refrigerator and taking out a milk jug. He closed it with his foot and opened the cupboard, retrieving a bowl. Twisting the cap, he poured some milk into the bowl, placing it on the floor for the cat to feed. Suffice to say, it greedily licked up the substance. Closing the jug, he put it back in the refrigerator and waited for the cat to finish.

Ten minutes later, the bowl was in the sink and Tsukiyomi was sitting on the couch with the cat in his lap. Running his fingers through it's black fur, he smiled to himself.

"This was a most interesting first chapter, wouldn't you agree, reader?"

* * *

><p><strong>The first half of the prologue is now complete. Allow me to remind you, reader, that this is a very large project, so I may need time to get the next chapters of this tale to you. But I do accept critique as long as there is a valid reason. I apologize for bringing this in so late, but I also have quite a lot of work to do here in the real world, considering I have no one to beta this piece of work. Not to mention I do most of this in my spare time. But I'm glad you've made it to the end of the chapter without clicking the back button. I shall hopefully see you in the second half of the prologue.<br>**

**- Tsukiyomi**


	2. Prologue: Flame

**I have returned with the next chapter of Hakushijotai. My apologies for having nothing to say at the moment, but I am very busy with a phone call. Enjoy.**

* * *

><p>The little girl from the previous chapter found herself in a comfortable bed, her eyes opening blearily as she surveyed her surroundings. She was suddenly assaulted by the memories of the previous night, but instead of going into a panic like most would, she simply jumped out from the comfort of the dark purple blankets. Putting on a pair of slippers at the side of the bed, she waddled-yes, she <em>waddled<em>-into the dark hallway. Scanning the hallway, her mind began to fill with dread, as she saw that the nice man from yesterday was nowhere to be seen. She prayed that last night wasn't a dream, she didn't want to wake up if it was. Her prayers were seemingly acknowledged and answered as she saw light peeking out from an open door at the end of the hall. She tried running toward it, but her legs apparently didn't agree and she fell with a thud. Letting out a yelp, she grabbed onto the leg of a nearby table for support as she helped herself up. Just then, her ears picked up a voice.

"_I am glad you agree with me. I await our next discussion. Enjoy the rest of your day, Hareta-san._" She heard from the other room. Along with it came a _click _, as if a phone had been hung up, which was most likely the case. Taking shaky steps towards the door, she tried to peek through the small crevice between the door and the oak frame in the wall.

Key word being _tried._

"Ah. Our little adventurer is awake." She heard from behind. She yelled when she felt two hands wrap under her pits and lift her off the ground, bringing her face to face with Tsukiyomi. She gulped. Believing these were her last moments like before, she clammed her eyes shut. What she heard was not what she expected.

"Are you hungry? I can make you something if you wish." She heard. A few seconds later, she heard chuckling.

"Open your eyes, child. You cannot eat if you cannot reach the kitchen. Unless you wish to use the restroom first." Tsukiyomi said, putting her down. As soon as her feet met the carpet, she ran into his legs, wrapping her arms around his knees as a baby penguin would do its mother. Blinking in confusion, Tsukiyomi just stood still in the dark hallway. He felt concern when she began to sob quietly.

"Are you okay?"

A sniff.

"Y-You're still here..." At this point, Tsukiyomi understood her concerns, and knelt down to wrap his arms around the girl. He felt her relax again, and she felt as if she were in the arms of her mother, as if this man was sent by her to wash away her fears.

"I will always be here whenever you need me. I shall not leave your side unless you want me too." Tsukiyomi said, hugging her tighter. After a few moments in silence, he stood up again and held her small hand in his.

"Now come with me. You need to eat to regain your strength."

And eat she did. Once they arrived in the kitchen, he had whipped up a few dozen, yes, DOZEN different kinds of breakfast meals and stacked them on plates. A smart decision, because the innocent little girl disappeared and in her place was a ravenous animal. And it was hungry.

Tsukiyomi was left with an open mouth as the same little girl that cried into his chest earlier shoved three sandwiches in her mouth at once and dry-swallowed them with a single, audible gulp.

_Oh my,_ He thought.

"I'm done!"

"Already?" He asked incredulously, trying hard to contain his surprise. Looking at the table, he found stacks upon stacks of plates, wiped clean of their contents. Looking down at the child, he found her looking back up at him. She tried to say something, but instead let out a cute little _hic! _that echoed in the room. She slapped her hands over her mouth, her face flushed red in embarrassment. Tsukiyomi seemed to snap out of his stupor and let out a bellowing laugh that sounded divine to the child, just like back in that alley. The white-haired male picked her up and walked into the living room, where he promptly flipped the switch with a tap of his foot. What they saw was not what they expected.

Sitting on the couch was a beautiful, young, tall woman with large breasts and an alluring figure. She has short violet hair with long strands on each side of her face that curl up and around to resemble a crooked spiral. A collar with a round bauble that has three triangles etched into it to resemble a jack-o-lantern's face can be seen below her neck. She has a set of purple catlike ears with pink tips instead of human ears, which are hidden by a witch's hat. Her black witch's hat coils around at the end and contained very familiar amber eyes. Not only that, but she possessed a purple cat tail that matched her hair in design, being curled, crooked, and on display for the world to see. Her lips seemed permanently curled into a sideways "3" to represent those of a mischievous feline. She also has two little sharp fangs in her mouth that slightly poked out from her lips. She wore a black-blue dress that shows off her shoulders and wraps around her neck, long, open sleeves that reveal her hands and shoulders, a short skirt with a white frill and long high-heeled boots that curl upwards at the toes.

All in all, she was hot and Tsukiyomi immediately recognized her presence. He sat the confused child on the armchair next to the coffee table, and he himself took the seat parallel to the couch. He glared at the smirking woman, who was playing with her fingernails.

"I should've known that cat was you. How the hell did you manage to change your appearance enough so I wouldn't detect you?" Tsukiyomi said with a groan. The child looked at the woman curiously.

"Mr. Tsukiyomi, who's she?" She asked, her head tilted cutely. The busty female took notice of the child, and with the speed of a bullet train, she picked up the child and promptly crushed her head between her heavenly pillows. At first the child stiffened, unsure if she should trust the stranger. But looking over at Tsukiyomi from the little space she was given, their eyes met and he nodded. Having her concerns settled, she leaned into the hug, finding it quite comfortable.

"Aaaaww, Tsuki-kuuuun~! Why don't you like meeee~?" The woman said in a singsong tone, her melodious voice carrying a flirtatious undertone that made Tsukiyomi want to suffocate her using one of the cushions. He settled with a sigh.

"Meet Blair. She and I have a..._history_ together." The man said, letting his head sink into his palms. How did she find him?

"I couldn't help myself, Tsuki-kun! You looked so cute when we first met! And to think you could be so _naughty_ too, uhuhuhuhu~! It feels like almost yesterday when you-"

"Blair, you almost killed me when we met in your dimension," Tsukiyomi interrupted. His face then took a rosy pink hue. ", And don't speak such language in front of a minor!" Tsukiyomi exclaimed with his head expanding comically, his thoughts now going straight to the gutter as he thought of what had happened the night they met. The child blinked. She wasn't _that_ naive. She knew a little bit of what they were talking about, even if it was wrong for a child to know such things.

"So, Tsuki-kun. I never got the little munchkin's name. Who is she?"

This caused Tsukiyomi's head to shoot up. He had been wondering that too.

"Dear me, I apologize. I never got your name, little one." He said, all traces of his previous irritation gone and replaced with a reserved curiosity.

"Well..." The child began. She blushed.

" My name is Yuuna." The now named Yuuna mumbled. Tsukiyomi and Blair blinked.

"No surname?" They asked in unison, to which Tsuki glared at a grinning Blair.

"No." Yuuna muttered quietly. Tsukiyomi's eyes softened and he pulled the girl into another hug. Blair came up behind him and hugged them both. Tsuki's left eye twitched.

"Blair, get your breasts off my back." He said blankly, feeling the soft pair of melons on his posterior. He heard Blair whine, and she got off. He released a somewhat amused Yuuna, as she giggled at their interactions. Blair gigled along with her.

Tsukiyomi's twitch became more violent.

"Can we continue the story now?" Yuuna asked modestly, looking at her feet. She felt comfortable with the two, but she wasn't ready to ask for things yet. Blair sat down on the couch once more, with Yuuna seated on her lap. Tsukiyomi internally pouted. He wanted to do that. As if reading his thoughts, Blair stuck her tongue out at him, pulling down her left eyelid childishly.

"Alright," Tsuki composed himself. ", let us finish the prologue." He said, taking the seat behind him, now facing the two. He cleared his throat.

"Now where were we?"

* * *

><p>" Sasuke, slow down!" Hinta's voice could be heard echoing throughout the staircase as one Sasuke Uchiha scaled flight after flight, his track running skills being put to use. Two flights below him, Hinata tried to catch up.<p>

" Curse that stamina of his..." She growled between pants. She wiped some sweat off her forehead before running again. She heard Sasuke yell "I can see the door!" before hearing a metallic bang, most likely Sasuke swinging the door open. She heard a gasp.

"Sasuke, what happe-" She began, but felt the words die in her throat as she walked up the last few steps, coming to a stop next to him as her mind tried to process the sight before her. Her eyes were widened, as was Sasuke's, as they stepped onto what was left of the roof.

"Oh my god..." She muttered. When she and Sasuke were running up the steps, she noticed that cracks ran along the walls as they climbed higher and higher, and by the time they reached the top floor, she saw that the entrance to the maintenance room was blocked.

Now she knew why.

The roof was completely destroyed, half of it cracked and ruptured and the other half caving in on itself into the room below, most likely being the cause of the explosion as there were large chunks of concrete and stone over smashed bits and pieces of what must have been three or four of the school's air conditioning and electrical generators, still sparking and sputtering with the last of its energy. Sasuke had just barely caught himself at the edge of the destruction, any farther and he would've fallen and split his skull on the jagged wires and sharp metal.

What had caught their attention, though, was the river of blood that leaked from the far edge of the roof, dripping and leaking onto the floor under them, onto the crushed bodies of the janitors and staff.

"What...happened up here...?" Hinata said, backing away from the scene and into the building. Sasuke took the scene a little better, but that didn't mean the sight of exposed bone and crushed organs didn't unnerve him.

"I don't know...We should head back down. We need to tell the teachers about this." The Uchiha said, turning and pacing back down the stairs, holding Hinata by the hand and pulling her away from the scene.

**Infirmary**

" You are very lucky that Yamanaka-san brought you here when she did, otherwise the wound would've gotten infected. Just try not to move too much, we don't want the wound to reopen itself. Stitches can only get you so far." The nurse said, wiping sweat off her forehead. She had been ready to lock up and go on her lunch break when Ino had rushed in with a mysterious man in a cloak. She dropped whatever she was doing at the moment when she saw the wound at his side bleeding profusely. She was bound by the code all doctors had to follow, to always treat a patient when they were injured, no matter who it was. She was just glad she was as trained as she was or else the wound would've only gotten worse.

Ino turned to the male currently sitting on the checkup table behind her, taking into account that his cloak and shirt was off, revealing bandages that wrapped around his lower torso and gauze that regulated the blood flow where the wound was stitched underneath. Of course, that's what others would first see when observing the male's body. However, to the two females, he was rather attractive, possessing a healthy build and solid "six-pack", as most teens and adults refer to these days. His arms were lean, possessing neither bulging nor skinny muscles. And now that Ino could see his face properly, she noticed that without the glare from the sun outside, his skin was pale, a difference from what she thought of as fair skin, having only a slight tan that matched perfectly with his hair and eyes. Appearance-wise, Ino gave him a solid ten out of ten.

Of course, even though she found him attractive, that didn't mean she fell for him. This was not a Shounen Manga. A pink blush here, an avoiding gaze there, and you would have the situation that the Yamanaka awkwardly found herself in.

Fanning herself, the nurse bent over and picked up her duffel bag, stashing away the gauze. thread, needle, and other medical appliances. Walking towards the door, she looked back to the Yamanaka.

"You should get going. I'm going out for my lunch break, so I have to lock up. Oh! I almost forgot," The nurse dug into her bag and took out a few rolls of bandages. Putting them into another bag, she handed it to her patient.

"Replace those bandages with these new ones when they get filthy. This should last for about three months, enough time to get the injury inspected by someone above my skill level. What did you say the cause of that wound was again?"

"Training accident." The male replied calmly, still a little surprised that these humans could still see him.

"I thank you for your handiwork, Ms..."

"Shizune."

"Yes. I shall remember that. Thank you, Shizune-san." Shizune blushed at his show of gratitude. She smiled.

"No problem, sir. I'm just doing my job, is all." She said modestly, taking the praise in stride. Turning around, she walked out the door, followed by Ino and the stranger who just finished putting his cloak back on. While Shizune walked around the corner at the end of the hallway, Ino turned to the stranger behind her.

" I'm Ino Yamanaka, by the way. What's your name?" She asked, looking the stranger up and down.

"I apologize, Ino-san, but I do not have a name. Although i have been given an alias."

Ino looked at the man strangely, backing up just a bit. His tone of voice had remained the same from since they met, a dull, emotionless drawl that sent a chill down her spine. It wasn't that he was creepy, it was just that his voice wasn't even apathetic or cold. It was as if he only used his voice to dictate that he was standing there, as if he would cease to exist if he didn't. That didn't mean he was creepy...

_Okay, maybe just a little_, Ino thought. She was also a bit confused when he mentioned an absence of identification. He mentioned that he had no name, but an alias to identify himself with. That alone made her shiver.

"What's your codename?" She hesitantly asked. She didn't like the way it came out, it made her feel like she was speaking to a soldier or an assassin.

"I was given the name...'Ameno Kanushinima', by many people who seem to worship me." The now identified Ameno said. Ino noticed he stopped in the middle of his sentence, as if he was thinking whether or not he could trust her with his 'identity'. It then came to her attention that he said 'people who seem to worship me'. She wondered if he was a part of a cult or an organization of sorts. But then a thought occured to her that both scared her and made her hopeful.

What if he had powers like her?

_What if he was like me? _She thought. Now that was a scary thought. She knew that she couldn't be the only human with supernatural powers in this world. The Inuzuka were proof of that, powerful in their own right, same as the Uchiha as they had unnatural speed that truly tested the body's limits. The Hyuuga family females also had a power of their own in her opinion, as no one's breasts can be that big, or beautiful enough to make even a married man consider infidelity over his own wife.

"Yamanaka-san."

Ino snapped out of her thoughts when the strange man called her name in concern. Or, at least, what she perceived as concern.

"Ah! Sorry. I was thinking about something." She waved him off, turning to look down the hall where Shizune-san left them. Ameno merely turned his head in the same direction, picking up the sound of heavy footsteps, pulling up the hood of his cloak. His suspicions were confirmed when Sasuke and Hinata were seen jumping down the steps and running in their direction, and before they could stop their descent, they crashed into Ino in a crumpled heap. With a yelp, Ino fell over, blushing when she found herself under the Uchiha-Hyuuga siblings. More specifically Sasuke.

Ameno stared down at them as they scrambled to get off each other, blinking in apparent confusion.

"I-Ino! What are you doing in here?!" Hinata exclaimed, getting up and dusting herself off, unaware that it made her breasts bounce with an almost comical _boing_. Ignoring his sister's magnificent mammaries, Sasuke addressed the Yamanaka.

"Ino, there's something we gotta tell the teachers. It's an emergency." He said.

"What do you mean, Sasuke-kun?" The Yamanaka said.

"I'll tell you later." Sasuke replied, expertly dodging the question by grabbing her hand and leading them out to the field. Ino nodded slowly, but then thought of the man following behind her. As for the mysterious Ameno, his head tilted at the name Ino addressed Sasuke with.

_It's him. _Ameno thought, confirming in his mind that Sasuke was his target, whether it be for a simple contact to an assassination was left unknown, however.

Sasuke took notice of the hooded stranger behind Ino.

"Hey, who are you?" He said, feeling wary as he started getting a strange vibe from Ameno, a vibe that simply told him that he was standing in front of something, but he couldn't feel anything coming from the strange man. Had he not been looking right at him and how the dry winds of mid-October ruffled the flaps of his cloak, Sasuke would have thought he was nothing more than a mirage conjured up by his mind. Hinata instinctively put herself between this man and Ino, getting the same vibe as the Uchiha.

"I have no name, yet Yamanaka-san has decided to call me Ameno. So I shall stick with that." Ameno said simply, his eyes staring at and right through the Uchiha. Hinata unconsciously shivered, having the same thoughts Ino had earlier about his voice, but Sasuke didn't budge. He observed what he could about the man, and from what he had been taught about the body from his health classes, he noticed that Ameno's body was neither stiff nor relaxed, neither rigid, or composed. He simply stood there, looking through them as if they did not exist in his eyes, as if he was simply an outsider looking at them through a television screen. It unnerved him, as Ameno simply stared right back at them and the bleachers far behind them.

"Well, Ameno-san, I don't know what you are doing at the school, but I have a feeling you are connected to what happened earlier. Am I wrong?" Sasuke said in an accusing tone, his eyes staring intently at the man in front of him. Ino gulped, unsure if she should tell Sasuke about what she saw earlier. Ameno blinked, then shook his head as if he had just figured out the solution to an unspoken question. Raising a lazy finger directed at the Uchiha, he spoke in a monotonous drawl.

"Your existence is not absolute. You lack something. A key factor in your place in reality that will act as the catalyst to an event, whether it is cataclysmic or miraculous is up to you." Before Sasuke could even speak a single word, he was interrupted.

" I must go now." Ameno said unexpectedly, turning and making his way towards the gates, ignoring the confused group of teens.

Now, what most would expect when seeing someone move towards a solid object is that they would avoid the object in their path or simply move it.

What happened next would be the first of many odd experiences.

Sasuke and the two females could do nothing but gape as Ameno's form began to fade, becoming a hologram, then a shimmering mist, then a wind, then...nothing. There was not a trace of his existence left. There was nothing but his last words that stuck to the wind and permeated the atmosphere with their dread.

" That key factor might fall into place very soon, Uchiha Sasuke. Until we meet again."

The bell rang.

**[Later That Day, 1/2 Mile away from Uchiha District]**

Sasuke walked down the usual path he always took when returning to the Uchiha District. After that final bell had rung, the principal(who, by some miracle, survived), told the rest of the students to head home and leave the incident in the school's hands. Sasuke had wished Ino a safe trip home, and considering Hinata herself offered to escort her, Sasuke was sure she would be safe.

That left him with his, oh so many, thoughts. For starters, just what the _hell_ happened on that roof, because he knew that even if the generators up there exploded, it wouldn't have had enough concussive force to blast apart the entire floor like it did. The roof had caved inwards, so that meant that there was an explosion _above_ the roof and the generators were just the collateral damage from the falling chunks of rubble. Adding that with the puddles of blood and the strange man he saw with Ino earlier, and he could pretty much conclude that something was going on. Something big.

_What did he mean? What's going to happen? What do i have to do with it? _Sasuke thought worriedly, hoping to whatever god was out there that his family wasn't dragged into this.

BOOM!

The poor bastard.

_What the hell?! That came from the District!_ Sasuke mentally shouted. And indeed, smoke could be seen rising from the Uchiha District, followed by sounds of clashing metal, screams and smaller explosions. Sasuke silently cursed himself for jinxing it, and ran at his full speed towards the District that, even though was half a mile away, was already fast approaching. Jumping through the fire that covered the gates, he arrived at what could only be described as a massacre.

How ironic.

Countless Uchiha were running around, fighting off odd-looking ninja with masks that read "Ne". The women were guiding the children inside, where they fearfully hid in the corners and crevices in the furniture in fear. The men and other females with fighting prowess held off the enemy for as long as they could, before eventually being stabbed or burned by the hellish flames.

_What the fuck...?_ Running past his dying family members, Sasuke made a mad dash for the house, jumping over collapsed telephone poles and burning bodies. He froze in his tracks when he saw the state it was in.

_My house...it's burning...?!_

A flash of a raven-haired woman smiling appeared in his head, followed by a black-haired man with his arm around her waist.

_Dad...Mom...!_ His mind now working on overdrive, Sasuke smashed his way through the wooden doors with nothing but the safety of his parents in mind.

"Mikoto-kaachan(affectionate way of saying "Mother")! Fugaku-tousan(formal or informal way of saying "Father)! Where are the two of you!" Sasuke yelled, pushing fallen support beams out of his way.

"...Sasuke..." He heard a weak voice call out, followed by coughing and ragged breaths. He pushed away rubble to see a bruised and slightly bloody Fugaku with minor cuts and wounds. He had one of his eyes closed tightly, as Sasuke supported him by slinging an arm around his neck.

"You're back...!" Fugaku said, blood pouring freely from his mouth.

"L-Listen to me...! Find your mother! Q-Quickly, before...Before...!" The elder Uchiha tried to say before he once again began a coughing fit. Sasuke was in a panic now, trying to think of a way to help his father.

"What happened to Mom?! Where's Itachi?!" Sasuke asked. Fugaku pointed a shaky finger down the hall, before his arm slackened and he fell onto his knees, using one hand to support himself and the other to cover his mouth before he breathed in anymore of the smoke. Sasuke tried to help him up again, but Fugaku pushed his hand away and stared at his son.

"Sasuke, you don't have enough time! You know well that I can't die and leave you and your mother alone like this...! I will try to buy you some time...get to your mother! GO!" Fugaku yelled, prompting Sasuke to run into the smoke in the direction Fugaku pointed, leaving him alone.

"We found another one!" Fugaku heard from his left. Seeing enemy nin rush onto the front porch, he got up on shaky legs and held up a hidden kunai in a reverse grip. He gave the approaching enemies a defiant glare.

"Bastards...! I will not allow you to destroy my home and family!" Fugaku exclaimed angrily, charging forwards at speeds that were hard to follow by the human eye.

The enemy ninja raced forward with a battle cry.

Fugaku slashed at one and dodged another. A third nin stabbed at his back, only to miss and fall to Fugaku's reflexes. Two more jumped over the body, slashing at the Uchiha at nicking his left cheek.

"Rush his right side! He's wounded there!" The leader said, jumping behind cover to evade a slash aimed at his head.

The remaining four ninja obeyed, all of them charging forward at once in hopes of overwhelming the Uchiha. Fugaku relaxed into a battle stance, the infamous Interceptor Fist of the Uchiha. He knew he wouldn't survive this battle, but he at least had to give Sasuke enough time to save his mother, instead of having him worry about his injuries.

He took a breath.

The ninjas charged.

A metallic clang resonated throughout the house, immediately followed by multiple wet thuds.

**[With Sasuke]**

Sasuke ran as fast as he could, never stopping or changing direction in fear of turning back to help his father. Fugaku had told him that Mikoto was in some sort of danger, and judging by the chaos outside, he knew something bad was going to happen.

He heard a _clang_.

_Thud, thud, thud, thud...thud_.

Silence.

He was sure that by the wet splattering he heard beforehand, his father did not survive. Sasuke took a second to mourn his passing, but quickly steeled himself to complete his father's dying wish, and keep his mother safe at all costs. He couldn't afford to panic right now, even if he didn't know just what the hell is going on.

"What do you want?" He heard a voice say from the other side of the wall next to him.

It was his mother!

"We have been ordered to exterminate the Uchiha clan." A monotonous voice said. While it was muffled, and not as empty as Ameno's was, it still lacked emotion nonetheless, and Sasuke heard it clearly. He felt a chill go up his spine when he heard the sound of a sword being unsheathed.

_Most likely a tanto by how high-pitched the sound was. It was far too quick to be a katana or wakizashi, but it couldn't have been a dagger, either. It's still too slow. Even if it was a quick-draw, there should have been almost no sound. He wouldn't have a reason to pull his blade out so quickly even if it was a katana. _Sasuke thought offhandedly. He immediately began to formulate a plan. From the finality in the nin's voice, he would not hesitate to kill Mikoto if Sasuke suddenly rushed in like a fool. He only had a few seconds, and even less than that to execute his strategy.

"I see." Mikoto replied calmly from the other side of the wall. Sasuke could see their silhouettes through the paper-thin wall. Mikoto sat on her knees, hands folded neatly in her lap, her head tilted to look up at another shadowy figure with a blade drawn. They were about six feet away from each other, but Sasuke did not trust that distance as he did not know how far away from the door they were, so their shadows could be either farther apart or closer than they really were inside the space.

_Considering the sliding doors were made of paper, and the house itself made of wood, the fire would spread quickly. I estimate that we have only thirty-six seconds before the support beams collapse and destroy the place. I have to be quick. _

"Who sent you? Who gave you the orders to exterminate my clan?" Mikoto questioned.

The ninja remained silent.

_I don't have a blade of my own, but if I move fast enough, I could catch him by surprise...No, he's a ninja. He's trained for that. But considering he has yet to notice me, I have the element of surprise. From what the situation looks like, this is a singular assassination, rather than a slaughter. He would've killed me rather than risk me getting away with information. The masks should have been enough._

"I'm afraid I cannot answer that, Mikoto-san." The ninja said. He poised his blade for a strike, most likely aimed at the neck from what Sasuke could see.

"Please do not resist. I must do this for my mission."

Mikoto stayed silent for a few seconds.

The assassin struck.

_Now's my chance! _Sasuke jumped through the door.

Mikoto's tone became solemn, as she spoke sadly.

"Why are you trying so hard...Itachi?"

**[With Ino and Hinata, Yamanaka Residence]**

"Are you sure you don't want to stay for dinner, Hinata-san? We have plenty of food, especially for the noble Hyuuga heiress." Mrs. Yamanaka asked, her tone motherly and serene. Hinata smiled at her, and gave the family a formal bow.

"No, my father has given me a strict curfew as of late, so I must be heading home now, but thank you for the kind offer, ma'am." Inoichi shot her a grateful smile.

"We apologize for the trouble we may have caused you, you have our gratitude for escorting Ino home," Inoichi said, completely ignoring Ino's annoyed glare.

She was not a child!

"You stay safe, ya hear? You never know what kind of sickos live out there." Hinata smirked, raising her right arm to clutch her biceps, which, while feminine, were highly developed.

"Don't worry about me. Anyone dumb enough to attack me won't only incure the wrath of the Hyuuga clan, but mine as well. Bastards won't even know what hit 'em." Hinata said confidently, her smirk becoming devilish.

Inoichi sweatdropped.

"Yeah, you go do that..." He said, trailing off when his wife mirrored Hinata's grin. He closed the door.

Hinata turned and walked down the steps of the house's front porch, then jogged her way through the gate and down the narrow sidewalks that you normally find in the suburban areas of Japan. She thought of what her mother would make for dinner, and decided she'd find out after helping Hanabi with her homework and finishing her studies.

She remained unaware that she was being followed.

Crouching on the top of a telephone pole with his arms resting on his knees was none other than Ameno Kanushinima, his form shadowed by the now setting sun and uplifting moon. His cloak flapped in the wind, exposing his torso to reveal the bandages and the wound both gone, as if they were never there to begin with. Not even a scar remained, only unmarred skin. His head followed Hinata's movements, finding himself intrigued by the girl. He looked up, staring into the far distance over the hills, where the burning Uchiha District sat, adding a hellish red hue to the otherwise navy blue sky. To anyone else, it would look eerily extravagant. To Ameno, it was just a burning cluster of humans and buildings.

He jumped off the pole and landed in front of Hinata, who stopped and instinctively dropped into the Juuken stance. Her eyes widened when she saw who it was.

"You're that guy I saw with Ino earlier!" Ignoring her surprise, Ameno walked closer to her, his steps echoing in Hinata's mind. Stopping two feet away from her, his eyes shifted lazily to once again stare over the hills. Hinata followed his gaze, but could only see multiple large plumes of smoke from where she stood, rising into the sky like flares.

"What's happening? Is there a fire?" She asked him, but received no response. She was about to ask again, until he placed a hand on her shoulder and disappeared, taking her with him.

To Hinata, she felt something clasp her shoulder, but she didn't feel any warmth or cold coming from it. It made her uncomfortable, and that feeling was amplified when she felt herself lift off the ground, but she could still feel the pavement under her. She was about ready to yell, but then the scene changed in a blur of lines, and what was once a sidewalk was now a rooftop.

She looked behind her, where the sidewalk she was just on stared back a few meters below. Turning back to Ameno, she yelled;

"What the hell was that?!" There were no indicators that told her that Ameno even acknowledged her question.

"Your friend is in need of your assistance. His existence in the mortal plane is endangered." Ameno said simply, confusing Hinata. She was going to ask him what he meant, but he once again interrupted her train of thought by pointing. Her eyes followed, and she gasped, finally taking in the state of the Uchiha District.

"W-What's going on...?! Sasuke...!" Hinata had no words, as she fell into a state of panic over the condition of her surrogate brother and his family.

"His kin are been attacked, and are fading from the mortal realm by the dozens." Ameno explained, doing nothing to quench Hinata's worry. She suddenly grabbed his hands.

"You! Ameno, was it? Can you do that teleporting thing again?" She asked, clasping his hands in desperation. His head tilted.

"It is still possible to preserve the life of your friend, and I can indeed redefine your existence again." Hinata did not understand why he was speaking like that, or the fact that they just freaking _teleported_, but hearing that he can do it again lit up her hopes.

"Can you get us there from this far? I have to get to my brother!" Ameno nodded in confirmation.

"Distance is inconsequential."

"So that means you can do it again, right? You can take me to the Uchiha District? To Sasuke?"

"Affirmative."

Hinata's eyes sparkled. Maybe it wasn't too late!

"Will you?" She asked hesitantly. After all, she didn't know this man, and he seemed to have supernatural powers like Ino did, even if his were far more potent.

"I shall do that." Ameno said, and was immediately crushed in a hug that would've possibly snapped any other human like a tube of toothpaste.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Hinata exclaimed, and in her excitement, she kissed his cheek with a wet _smooch_. Her hype died down right after that, and she backed off. Ameno put a hand to his cheek.

Humans are very odd...

"Let's go!" Hinata said over her small blush. Ameno nodded, and grabbed her shoulder again, causing their forms to shimmer and fade like before. Only one thought went through Hinata's mind.

_Don't worry, Sasuke! I'm coming for you! _The Hyuuga thought with determination coursing through her veins.

**[Inside Uchiha Residence]**

Sasuke's eyes were wide in shock as Itachi took off his mask and lowered the tanto ever so slightly. His expression was full of regret, as his eyes refused to look up from the floor.

"Itachi...Why?" Sasuke thought, his body trembling as the situation finally caught up to him. Why was Itachi doing this?! There were ninja outside killing off their clan, and Itachi was here trying to kill their mother!

"I'm sorry, little brother. I have to do this." Itachi said in sorrow, the blade in his hands trembling just as bad as Sasuke was.

"But why?! Who's making you do this, Itachi?!" Sasuke yelled, causing Itachi to wince.

"I have my orders. I have to get rid of the corruption that has plagued the Uchiha clan since its founding." Itachi said. Sasuke's expression transformed from one of anger to one of confusion.

"What do you mean? What corruption?" Sasuke asked. While he was nowhere near calm, it would only make the situation worse if he shouted. Itachi shook his head sadly.

"You're so naive, little brother..." He said with a hint of disappointment. Mikoto watched their interaction calmly, but on the inside she was crying. Why did she have to watch her family suffer so much? Why did Itachi's superiors pick him of all people to assassinate her?

CRASH!

The tense atmosphere was abruptly shattered when bits of the ceiling came down, raining sawdust and jagged pieces of charred wood onto the floor.

"We only have thirteen seconds left." Mikoto said, her eyes never leaving her two sons. Sasuke and Itachi turned to her, then went back to their little spout.

"Why am I naive?! What is it that you're not telling me, Itachi?!"

"You'll never understand."

"Eleven seconds." Mikoto began to count down.

"Of course I won't understand unless you tell me!"

"Ten seconds."

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you."

"Then just tell me, dammit!"

"Nine."

"I can't. It's classified information."

"Eight."

"Classified my ass!" Sasuke began to lose his composure. Screw what he said about yelling earlier!

"Who ordered you to exterminate the clan? Who's this person that is supposedly more important than family?!"

"Seven." Twitch.

"You don't get it. I'm not saying this person is more important than you or Kaa-san."

"Really, Itachi? Really?!"

"Six." Twitch, twitch.

The surrounding walls began to creak. Wooden pillars began to snap.

"Danzo Shimura." Itachi finally said, deciding to come to a compromise rather than waste time if Mikoto's twitching is any indication.

"Huh?"

"Beware the man known as Danzo Shimura. He's a very dangerous person that I hope you never meet, Sasuke."

"Five seconds, boys. We only have five seconds." Mikoto said, getting up. It actually unnerved Itachi to see his mother so calm at a time like this. Sasuke turned to her.

"Mom, do you know anything about this Danzo?" He asked.

"He's one of the three elders on the council that help run this town Sasuke. I don't have a clue why he would order the execution of the Uchiha clan. It isn't part of the laws, and we have done no wrong."

Itachi looked through the crumbled doors, seeing flames begin to lick at the corners of the walls.

"You must get out of here. I can easily tweak the report to say Kaa-san died in the fire." Sasuke shook his head.

"What about you?" Mikoto spoke up this time.

"Why are you leaving us, sochi?" She asked, not raising her voice in the slightest. Itachi winced.

"I will try to see you as soon as I possibly can. I'll try to keep Danzo away from you for as long as possible. I wish I didn't have to leave, but I must finish my mission."

" Itachi, wai-" Sasuke didn't get to finish as his elder brother disappeared into the shadows that were conjugated from the fires that were now burning the walls. More beams crashed down as Sasuke grabbed his mother's hand and pulled her along. This snapped her out of her daze and they began to run, adrenaline and sheer luck keeping them from getting crushed.

This didn't last long, though.

"Sasuke, watch out!" Mikoto warned over the roar of the flames. Sasuke looked up and yelled in shock when multiple flaming wooden planks peeled off the ceiling, bring with it soot that stung at his eyes. He heard Mikoto yell his name.

_Am I going to die here along with my clan? _Sasuke thought, as he knew he was unable to dodge even that. He thought of his clan, his dreams, his friends.

_I don't want to leave them behind. _Right as the falling pile of rubble was about to crush him, the air around them twisted, until;

"Sasuke!" He heard, followed by something pulling him backwards. He glanced over his shoulder, and caught a glimpse of lavender hair before the scene changed.

_Hinata? _He thought.

**[Outskirts of the Uchiha District]**

Sasuke fell over once the feeling of weightlessness passed. Getting up, he coughed.

"Are you alright?" He looked to his left, surprised to see his best friend and sister dusting off a confused Mikoto's robes. Speaking of the female Uchiha, she glanced over at her son, and sighed in relief.

"I'm glad you're alright, Sasuke. I thought you died." She said softly, then turning and bowing to a bashful Hinata.

"Thank you, Hinata-san." The Hyuuga dismissed the gesture with a wave of her hand.

"What is with people thanking me today?" She said, mostly to herself.

"Hinata? How the hell did you do that thing with the air earlier?" Sasuke asked. Hinata pointed.

"Don't thank me, i didn't do that. It was all him." She said. The two Uchiha turned, and while one looked startled, the other shouted in surprise.

"You're that guy from earlier!" Sasuke yelled, pointing a comically shaking finger at Ameno, who just stared back at him with emotions nonexistent. Hell, he wasn't even looking at him.

"It's...you..." Mikoto said to herself, trying her hardest to calm her beating heart. Hinata looked in her direction, narrowing her eyes. She caught that.

_What does she mean? What connection does she have to this person?_ Her thoughts ran rampant, mind trying to piece together the puzzle. She had known Mikoto for years, every time she came over for dinner, Mikoto would always say hello. She was the nicest and sweetest person Hinata knew, not counting her mother, of course, but there are times when she would not respond to a question or give an answer to one, almost as if she were deep in thought. There are also times when she would look disheveled, almost...frightened. One of those times, Hinata had asked her for one of the cakes being served at the table, and she had almost jumped out of her skin. When asked whether or not she was alright, Mikoto would always answer with "It was just a nightmare", or "Don't worry about it, honey". She never told Sasuke, as she thought that he already knew at the time.

"What was that, Mom?"

He did not.

"Oh...Oh! It's nothing," Mikoto waved them off, although her expression told them otherwise.

And then she caught what Sasuke said.

"You know this man, Sasuke?" She said, her tone bordering on panic. Ameno stared at her, and she backed away a step. Ameno turned a lazy eye to her, even though they held nothing in them. No compassion, no apathy, no heartlessness, no emotion whatsoever.

Honestly, it scared the proverbial shit out of the woman.

"Fugaku Uchiha has fallen, along with 232 others. 203 Uchiha, the remaining twenty-nine being casualties for the opposing side, with twelve dead. Your kin has been classified as endangered, Sasuke-san, Mikoto-san. Do not fret, however. I have managed to preserve the remaining forty-seven members of the clan. Twenty-one children, eight pairs of male and female parents, and ten elders ranging from forty to sixty years old. They are all safe in a secure location accessible only to me." Ameno soothed, even though his tone and expression never changed. The two Uchiha plus Hyuuga could only gape as they processed the information going through their minds.

"Would you like to see them?"

Sasuke turned his upper torso to look over his shoulder, staring somberly at the burning remains of his former home, embers buzzing around in the air like small fireflies of destruction. He looked away quickly, wiping away at the tears that pooled around his eyes as he thought of Itachi's betrayal, and the words that he parted with.

_"Beware the man known as Danzo Shimura. He's a very dangerous person that I hope you never meet, Sasuke." _He had said. Sasuke wondered just how dangerous this Danzo was if he could get away with the annihilation of an entire clan, a founding clan no less. Not to mention, if this Danzo was one of the village elders, why hadn't he heard of him before? Ameno's words suddenly came to mind.

_"Your existence is not absolute. You lack something. A key factor in your place in reality that will act as the catalyst to an event, whether it is cataclysmic or miraculous is up to you." _Is this what he meant? If he had been faster on his way home, could he have prevented this from happening?_  
><em>

_No, _Sasuke thought. Even if he had arrived home faster, who knows what would've happened. Besides, Sasuke didn't think a force of ninja can arrive and burn down an entire compound within the few minutes it took Sasuke to arrive. He looked towards Ameno, and made the decision for the rest of the group.

"Let's go."

* * *

><p>"And that's the end of the prologue." Tsukiyomi finished, observing the two females' reactions. Safe to say, he wasn't disappointed, as they were clutching their chests in awe. Blair jumped over the coffee table and tackled("glomped" is not a word) Tsukiyomi, crushing his head between her breasts.<p>

"Wow! That was so intense, Tuski-kun!" Blair yelled, oblivious to the pain she was causing the author by choking him to near death. She let him go once she saw his face turning blue, leaving Tsukiyomi gasping for air. Yuuna giggled, a light sensation that pleased their ears and left them with the desire to hear it again. She was having so much fun with the two, not even a day yet she saw them as people she could trust.

_Brrrrrgggg._

And then her stomach rumbled.

"It looks like little Yuuna-chan is hungry." Blair said with a surprisingly soft smile, her flirtatious mannerisms nowhere to be seen as she took an almost motherly persona. Hey, she couldn't help it. While yes, she was moving a bit too fast, Yuuna had grown on her quickly and Blair already couldn't see life without the young child around. She knew Tsukiyomi felt the same about the child, what had first been pity was now a steadily growing bond.

Tsukiyomi chuckled as Yuuna blushed. He looked at the clock on the wall.

"Well, it is about time for lunch. Still, I find it hard to believe we've been sitting in this position for three hours." He said stretching his limbs, feeling that satisfying pop in his back. He blushed when Blair bent over and stretched like the common feline, stretching her outstretched legs and giving him the perfect view for her posterior. He groaned when he saw the black lace panties she wore.

_Aaaand she's back. _He groaned.

This was going to be a long day.

* * *

><p><strong>My apologies for bringing this in so late, but I do have things to do. Not only that, but no spellcheck. As for "Omnipresence", I have decided to leave that as a side story I can update when I'm in the mood for crack. It's pretty obvious that it should not be taken seriously for fear of brain implosion. Let me tell you this before it becomes confusing.<br>**

**Sasuke is NOT the main character. Neither is Hinata, or Ino, or even Ameno. This story is simply interaction between what could be and what could not be. A fiction purely based on the supernatural, one that can both be serious, yet playful. All fiction have their own taste, and Hakushijotai is no different. Omnipresence was never to be taken seriously to begin with. It was an experiment, a "test run" if you will. I will not abandon it, but don't expect it to be updated every other week. It is crack, action-packed and semi-serious crack, but crack nonetheless.  
><strong>

**This story will take a while, so please be patient. I apologize for my harsh words, but I have been receiving PM after PM of haters, trolls, and desperate people. I've had enough.**

**I hope you're all still here next chapter,**

**-Tsukiyomi**


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